


Adventure in Fire

by ValkyrieShepard



Series: Adventures of Hualian [2]
Category: Heaven Official's Blessing, 天官赐福, 天官赐福 - 墨香铜臭 | Tiān Guān Cì Fú - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Genre: Adoption, Adventure, Anal Sex, Bondage, Child Death, Death, Death by burning, Domestic Fluff, Domesticity, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Post Novel, Riding, Rimming, Shibari, Smut, child ghost, male wetness, monster hunting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:46:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27919186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ValkyrieShepard/pseuds/ValkyrieShepard
Summary: Xie Lian and Hua Cheng live peacefully, until a prayer reaches Xie Lian from a village near Puqi Shrine, asking for help to solve the case of mysterious burnings. While investigating, the two meet someone rather special.
Relationships: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), Hualian - Relationship
Series: Adventures of Hualian [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2145531
Comments: 18
Kudos: 217





	Adventure in Fire

**Author's Note:**

> I just needed... more with the two of them, so I made up a little adventure and ended with 64 pages, oops. I hope you enjoy! I tagged the violence thing because of the murder victims, and the child ghost, so just be prepared for that.  
> Could be construed as a sequel to my one Shot 'Love Inside'.

Xie Lian woke to the strangest sensation. For a long while he felt confusion cloud his mind, only very slowly did it settle and he was able to look around to where he was. Some of his dreams left his mind muddled, sometimes it was paralysed with fear and regret. The stranger sensation at this moment however, was the cold that he felt.

Usually there should be a body here. Cold as well, but a different kind.

His eyes glanced around the room, finding himself to be in their bedroom at Paradise Manor. That’s right, they had come here to stroll through Ghost City. A stroll that was cut short when Hua Cheng was unable to keep his hands off him. Xie Lian still felt his cheeks flush at the thought of the ghosts hollering after them as they headed for Paradise Manor.

After that, well… The spiritual energy rushing through Xie Lian in perfect equilibrium told him everything he needed to know.

_Let me make love to you, Gege._

Hua Cheng’s words echoed in his mind. ‘To make love’. Xie Lian liked the way Hua Cheng called it these days. And true to his words, his cultivation had not suffered one bit. On the contrary, Xie Lian felt stronger than ever. Their love truly just was a catalyst for gaining even more strength. He did not need it, he felt, but was set at ease that what they did together was not considered wrong.

The smile that had appeared on his face faded again when it really sank in that Hua Cheng wasn’t here. It was so rare for him to wake up not beside him, or even in his arms. The safest place in all realms, Xie Lian thought.

Rare, but not completely out of character, so Xie Lian made himself be still and calm. It should not be hard to find Hua Cheng, after all, if he wanted to see him, he always would. That thought always brought him peace.

The silk of the blanket brushed against his bare skin, and Xie Lian reached for the nearest robe he could find to cover himself. Somehow his usual white ones were nowhere to be found. Instead he found in his hands a rather light red robe, that he was sure he had never seen on Hua Cheng before. Instead, when he slipped it over his shoulders, it seemed to fit him perfectly.

_You wished to see me in red?_ , he thought, smiling to himself.

But as he stood and brushed over the sleeves of the robe to take out the creases, that smile froze yet again. Something was missing! Ruoye wasn’t on his arm!

He started looking around the room frantically, upturning other robes, pillows and blankets, even going so far as to check the dresser and cupboards just to see if maybe it had been hiding somewhere. But Ruoye was nowhere to be found! This… had never happened before. It should always be on him!

Well, except maybe when they made love! But it usually came back, it never wanted to be parted from him for too long.

“San Lang?,” he muttered to himself. He had to find San Lang.

So distraught was he, that he left the room without any boots on. His bare feet made pitter patter noises on the wooden floor as he went into a random direction. At this point he didn’t care anymore whether one way could be bad luck or not, because he knew that at the end of it, there would be his Hua Cheng.

After rounding a few corners, having seen the rebuilt armoury and having a hard time not to stop and look at all the wonderful weapons here, his heart was still hammering. Now he was on his way towards the bath. He may as well check, but as he approached the door and started feeling hot steam that was coming through the crack of it, he heard a familiar voice.

“That’s good, isn’t it?,” Hua Cheng asked… someone?

Xie Lian’s hand stopped on the door. For some reason he could not open it just yet, his heart racing.

“Hmm, you’re much softer now, I wonder how long it’s been,” he continued.

Who on earth was he talking to?!

“You actually feel very nice. I wonder if you’d caress me like you do him?”

Something splashed a bit of water, and Hua Cheng laughed. That sound usually sent Xie Lian’s heart soaring, now it felt a little different. He didn’t know what to think. It was impossible that Hua Cheng was bathing with someone else besides him. He had died three times for him, and had come back every time. Why would he do this?

“Hm, seems we have company,” Hua Cheng continued. “We should let Gege watch, shouldn’t we?”

Hua Cheng didn’t continue, but it was clear what he was expecting Xie Lian to do. With slightly trembling hands he pushed open the door and stepped inside. There was steam over the bath and the slight breeze that came in with him pushed it gently aside. Hua Cheng was sitting in the bathtub. On his own...?

No, upon looking closer and ignoring the handsome smile Hua Cheng flashed him, there was a white silk band in his hands, gently moving. The tip of it now floated up, as if to eagerly greet Xie Lian.

“Ruoye!,” he exclaimed, rushing closer to the edge of the tub and reaching out to pet it. He believed that if it could, it would purr. “Oh I was so frightened when you weren’t with me.”

Ruoye drooped a little, as if sad. Xie Lian knew full well that it was.

“That is my fault, Gege,” Hua Cheng said. “It was being so good that first night, I thought it was long overdue to pamper Ruoye a little.”

That first night… Xie Lian flushed all the way down to his chest remembering how Ruoye had been the one to help spread his legs so that he was exposed for Hua Cheng to see. Only looking back had he realised that the look in Hua Cheng’s eyes had changed at the sight. A kind of hunger had been in them.

“Come join us in the bath,” Hua Cheng continued. He was already eyeing the exposed collarbone that the rather revealing robe showed.

They had been together many more times since that first night and while Xie Lian felt he should be used to being naked with Hua Cheng by now, it still felt like something forbidden somehow. Still, he reached for the sash holding the robe together and let it fall besides the tub. Quickly he slipped into the hot water, but already noticed Hua Cheng eyeing his chest and eventually lower.

He pulled Xie Lian to sit close next to him, despite the tub being very spacious. Immediately Ruoye came to greet him again, nudging his cheek and leaving a bit of foamy bubbles there. Hua Cheng chuckled and wiped them away, only to leave many more.

Xie Lian laughed, feeling more at ease now. He glanced at Ruoye and together they assaulted Hua Cheng with more foamy bubbles, leaving them over the lower half of his face to create a white beard.

“How is it?,” Hua Cheng asked, a twinkle in his eyes. “Should I get a beard?”

“San Lang looks very dignified,” Xie Lian tried to say seriously, but his smile betrayed him. Still he reached out to wipe off the beard and leaned in a little closer. “But I think San Lang is perfect the way he is.”

As expected, Hua Cheng pulled him close by the waist and into a deep kiss. The water in the tub sloshed over the edge from the sudden movement, and their bodies were pressed closely together. Hua Cheng’s tongue dipped into his mouth, sharing the taste of the fragrance that had been put into the bathwater. Slowly behind him, Ruoye approached, its wet fabric pushing against his back and Xie Lian shuddered.

It caressed his back further, running along his spine. When the touch was followed by Hua Cheng’s nimble fingers, he felt hot arousal pool in his groin.

“R-Ruoye, stop,” he muttered, panting a little. Ruoye did indeed stop. “I can’t- Just… Please go dry yourself off.”

Hua Cheng made sure to pet Ruoye on the way out where it was leaving a wet trail behind it.

“So mean,” Hua Cheng said.

“It’s strange if it… participates,” Xie Lian admitted.

“Ruoye is just trying to help.”

“I know…”

Hua Cheng wasn’t able to focus on Ruoye for too long, he was leaning in to kiss Xie Lian again, as he often did. Xie Lian sighed against his lips, his heart felt so full.

“San Lang was kind to wash Ruoye like that,” he said. “You take such good care of us.”

“Of course,” Hua Cheng replied, playfully brushing his nose against his. “I am your humble believer.”

Xie Lian smiled as he was pulled into Hua Cheng’s lap, where he could feel some growing excitement. Red in the face from shyness and the heat of the water, Xie Lian shifted so that he was straddling him. The night before they had made lots of love, and Hua Cheng made sure to spill plenty of love inside him too. Naturally Xie Lian was still rather relaxed.

“ _Oh_ ,” Hua Cheng brought out.

It wasn’t often that Xie Lian took the initiative this way. He had to get used to it at first, trying not to feel the shame that he had been brought up to associate with such acts. But time had passed, and his desire grew.

He gently guided Hua Cheng’s hand to his hole, and Hua Cheng didn’t hesitate to press a finger inside. As expected, it went easily and Xie Lian’s breath hitched a little.

His hair was drenched now, some of it clinging to his face.

“Did it all wash away already?,” Hua Cheng asked. Another finger pressed inside.

Xie Lian wasn’t completely sure if the steam rising now wasn’t from his head, rather than the hot water.

“It’s gone,” Xie Lian mumbled.

“Gone? What does Gege mean?”

Looking down, Xie Lian pressed a hand to his belly. He swallowed, unsure of how to explain this. Despite how it made him feel, it surely had to be something very indecent!

“When I wanted to clean up yesterday… It was gone,” he said very softly. Hua Cheng leaned in a little closer to hear him. “And I felt… warm.”

He waited for Hua Cheng’s reply, but nothing came.

“I think it may be some sort of spiritual energy transfer. Though I do not understand how it works.”

“Gege-,” Hua Cheng broke off and Xie Lian’s head quickly snapped up. The expression he saw in Hua Cheng’s eyes worried him, as if he were about to shed a tear. But then that smile was back. “Gege loves me so much?”

“En,” Xie Lian said quickly, and he meant it. “Maybe that is why. San Lang is right again.”

Hua Cheng’s hand also came to his belly, and together they looked down for a few moments. Then his hand slowly started to move, rubbing a little on his belly, then his waist. Hua Cheng’s arousal had only grown with this confession. Xie Lian remembered what he had planned to do, and shifted in his lap.

“Let Gege do it this time,” he said with a blush, but Hua Cheng nodded eagerly. He couldn’t help but reach out to brush some of the raven black hair away from that handsome face, his fingers briefly trailing over the eye patch he wore.

The position felt a little awkward, he had to lean back to reach for Hua Cheng’s erection, already hard and thick in his hand. He made sure to spread himself as wide as he could, his hair falling forward like a curtain, and then slowly sat back. The tip of Hua Cheng’s cock slid inside him easily, and he got flashes of memories from the night before. Their passionate kissing, their bodies entangled, Hua Cheng’s big thing inside him.

He wanted it so badly. And so he sat down.

A shudder ran up his spine, tingling throughout his entire body. How indecent it was, the way he could so easily sit down and take Hua Cheng’s entire length inside him. His neck arched, his gaze fuzzy as he didn’t look at anything in particular. He felt Hua Cheng’s cold lips against the hot skin of his neck. Not just kissing this time, no, now he felt teeth and he gasped at the sensation.

“San Lang!,” he blurted out. His chest was rising and falling quickly after the surprise, as well as with the sensation of Hua Cheng inside him.

“I’m sorry,” Hua Cheng actually looked a little sheepish. “The temptation was too big. Gege looks so…”

“Delicious?,” Xie Lian suddenly had to laugh. With the movement, it seemed Hua Cheng’s cock slid even deeper inside him and he pressed a hand to his mouth, though that could not contain his moan.

“Yes,” Hua Cheng admitted. “If Gege doesn’t like it, I won’t do it. I would never bite hard…”

“Try it…,” Xie Lian said softly, tilting his head so that his neck was once more free to be bruised by him. At the moment he couldn’t even think about what that might look like to other people. Something about being with Hua Cheng like this let his thoughts go astray.

As if to apologise, Xie Lian first felt Hua Cheng’s lips on his neck again. A gentle kiss, then another, peppered all along the side of it. Only then did the teeth return. Scraping over his skin gently, and Xie Lian could feel among them were two that were slightly sharper. He trembled in Hua Cheng’s embrace.

“Ah- S- San…,” Xie Lian moaned when Hua Cheng’s grip around him pulled him even closer, and he felt his cock stir inside him once more. At the same time the teeth pressed down on his silky skin, not breaking it, but teasing. Xie Lian knew that if he wanted to, Hua Cheng could do so much more to him.

The fact that he held back like this…

“You can go… a little harder,” Xie Lian whispered, his cheeks feeling as if they were burning.

“A little harder and I might draw blood. I could not.”

Hua Cheng nibbled on his neck again, leaving slightly red marks. Xie Lian could tell that he wanted to. And what if he tasted his blood… It was a small gift.

He let his hands wander though Hua Cheng’s hair, cupping the back of his head gently. Adding a little bit of pressure he said: “If it’s San Lang, I gladly give it.”

Hua Cheng stiffened underneath him for a moment, then sighed. There was no breath that he could feel on his skin. Very slowly, he felt the teeth against his neck again, right in the crook of it. He pressed closer, feeling his own erection trapped between the two of them, but ignored the friction that came with it as Hua Cheng just then bit down into him.

A sound escaped his lips. Not one of pain, but one of pleasure, deeper pitched than the sounds he usually heard himself make. Small drops of blood poured from the bite, pooling around Hua Cheng’s lips, and into his mouth. Just as carefully as he had bitten, he pulled back again to lick over the bite.

Another shudder ran through Xie Lian’s entire body.

“Gege is even more delicious than I thought,” Hua Cheng mumbled against his skin. “I will treasure this taste.”

(Illustration of this scene on my [ art twitter ](https://twitter.com/valdrawsart/status/1337832895650664451)) 

With every lick over the bite Xie Lian’s body felt as if it were set on fire. On his own, his hips moved, rolling against Hua Cheng, who gasped against his skin. Very slowly Xie Lian tried moving more. Every time he did, it felt as if Hua Cheng was pushing even deeper inside him. The feeling was… addictive.

He had to pull back from Hua Cheng, though losing his curious tongue lapping up his blood, he was able to rock on his cock even better this way. Holding onto Hua Cheng’s neck with one hand, he rolled his hips and watched his reactions to it.

Xie Lian never felt like he was in charge of Hua Cheng’s pleasure, but now it was different. He was the one moving, rolling his hips and tightening around it. Hua Cheng’s expressions were so open and vulnerable, he treasured each one, committing them to memory. His lips slightly parted, it looked as if the steam from the hot water came from his mouth. His lids low, it seemed as if he were struggling to hold on. This was the pleasure he gave him.

“G-Gege,” he moaned it, rather than say it. “G-Gege is doing so well- ah…”

He couldn’t help but smile.

“I’m so happy… to make…,” he gasped, pulling Hua Cheng even closer. This way his movement was limited again, but he knew the look in his love’s eyes. He was about to spill his seed. “San Lang… feel good.”

It was hard to talk, and so they both forsook it.

Now they just held on to each other as Xie Lian brought them towards their climax, panting against each other's skin in between kisses that left their lips reddened as if wearing make up. Moaning together, they came together, and once more Xie Lian felt that now familiar warmth spilling inside him as he came to still in Hua Cheng’s lap. Breathing heavily, he concentrated on that very feeling, unable to ever get enough of it.

“Ge… ge…”

Only with Xie Lian did Hua Cheng ever let himself get so vulnerable. It made him want to protect his love, and he did, every day. The ring hanging from his neck would never leave him.

“Did you like that?,” Xie Lian found himself asking though the feeling inside him told him a resounding ‘yes’.

“Of course I did,” Hua Cheng replied. “Gege’s never been so forward. I loved watching you.”

He paused for a moment.

“Did you take it again?”

Xie Lian was reminded of his confession, and flushed even deeper as he nodded.

“I can’t help myself,” he replied. Something then just occurred to him. “You don’t think it could have consequences?”

“Hmm,” Hua Cheng pondered for a moment. “Other than certain Taoists sensing evil energy inside you, I do not think so. Gege’s not a woman after all.”

Xie Lian swallowed. Could ghosts… have children?! It had to be impossible. Ghosts were dead after all and even though Hua Cheng was able to imitate all these human traits, it couldn’t possibly go beyond that.

Could it?

Xie Lian briefly thought about Guzi running around Puqi shrine and how he had enjoyed having a child around. But he pushed that thought away.

“You’re right,” he said instead, trying to smile.

Hua Cheng reached out to pull a streak of hair out of his face. He looked like he wanted to say something but decided not to. In the end the two took turns to wash each other’s hair, taking advantage of the warm water of the tub, and then went to search for where Ruoye had gone off to.

It wasn’t a big surprise to find it in a side room along with E’Ming. That’s where Xie Lian would always send Ruoye if he and Hua Cheng had ‘private time’ in Paradise Manor. The two spiritual weapons appeared to be cuddling, with Ruoye wrapped around the hilt of E’Ming, the eyeball in it was curved, as if smiling.

But when Xie Lian approached Ruoye unravelled quickly and floated right back to him. Xie Lian gave it a little scratch and let it wrap back around his arm. Seeing E’Ming slightly disappointed, he made sure to pet it as well. An onlooker might have found the scene strange, but for the four of them it was a regular occurrence.

E’Ming almost hopped into Xie Lian’s lap when Hua Cheng slapped it away. The eyeball quivered as if about to cry.

“Don’t hurt His Highness!,” Hua Cheng scolded.

“Oh E’Ming would never,” Xie Lian pointed out and opened his arms to welcome it for a hug.

Hua Cheng looked grumpy, but let the sabre come anyway. For a few moments he watched Xie Lan pet both spiritual weapons, smiling at and talking to them. His expression changed then, and when Xie Lian looked up he saw the hint of sadness before he was smiling again.

“San Lang, are you tired?,” Xie Lian asked, standing and approaching him. He brushed his hand over his forehead, caressing it, then his hair. Hua Cheng nodded without saying anything, so he took his hand to lead him to bed. “Come with me then, let me take care of you.”

Hua Cheng’s smile became more genuine after that and he let himself be led back to their bedroom. Behind him he kicked E’Ming to stay out of their way, and Xie Lian felt bad for it. But a long time ago he had learned that Hua Cheng did not really like to share Xie Lian’s affection with anyone, even if it was a part of himself like E’Ming.

He had put on the red robe again, it was light enough for sleep, and Hua Cheng watched him as they got read for bed. In the end Xie Lian pulled him close, made sure that as they lay together, Hua Cheng’s head was on his chest and he could hold him in a protective way.

Hua Cheng sighed dramatically.

“What is San Lang thinking about?”

“Gege’s heartbeat. Hearing it makes me feel safe.”

Xie Lian sighed dramatically.

“Everything about San Lang makes me feel safe.”

Hua Cheng had his arms wrapped around him and hugged him tightly. This was how Xie Lian spent his nights these days. Most of them were uninterrupted and he felt energised and loved every day he woke up. Very rarely this was different, but tonight seemed to be one of those nights.

His dreams often conjured things from his past. Since he found out who exactly Hua Cheng was, and how he had been involved in his life, those dreams often featured him. Sometimes they were not so bad. Seeing that young soldier again, he was happy about his presence in the dream, but often also thought about how short Hua Cheng’s human life had been because of him.

Most other times though, those dreams filled him with dread.

The ghost soldier with the mask. Today he wasn’t wearing it, and neither was Xie Lian, though the funeral garb he wore was so familiar to him. His heart wasn’t filled with hatred anymore, but the dream Xie Lian had gathered all those souls anyway, planning to unleash them. And Hua Cheng, he followed him. Always followed him. His most devout believer.

Xie Lian knew full well what was coming. The soldier, kneeling in front of him, the souls unleashed, and taking them all in. To protect Xie Lian. So he would not have the deaths of all these people on his hands.

This was Hua Cheng’s second death, and his heart ached. It ached so much.

_San Lang!_ he wanted to call out, but the dream Xie Lian didn’t move an inch. Suddenly, he was right in front of Hua Cheng, without the mask. And he was smiling, always smiling. It was all for His Beloved Highness.

_Did it hurt, San Lang?_

A sudden sharp pain sent him reeling, and the entirety of the scene shifted. He was standing in an unfamiliar village, still in the funeral garb. A dread filled his stomach, but then he heard a strange voice. Was this… someone praying?

“...burned down houses…”

Xie Lian looked around, and saw a smoking house at the end of the street.

“... too many of them…”

He noticed more and more light up in the evening landscape of this village.

“... please help us… ghosts… monsters...”

Xie Lian didn’t know how long this dream would last, so he turned and turned to try and find any indication of where this place could be. Finally he found it: A mountain range in the distance! It actually should not be too far from Puqi Shrine! Maybe the word of his shrine had spread a little, and now he was getting this prayer. He had to help!

He woke up with a sudden start, and heard Hua Cheng yelp indignantly as he was pushed off of Xie Lian’s chest. He had to look around for a few moments, his heart still racing from the dream before it had turned into the vision and the prayer. Before he had heard the voice, he had thought that the White Calamity might still be in his future. He couldn’t take that anymore, he absolutely couldn’t!

“Gege?,” Hua Cheng had sat up too, hand on his back and rubbing gently. He was always there to comfort him after nightmares. “What was it this time?”

Xie Lian shook his head. He didn’t want to talk about Hua Cheng’s death again and how it made his heart ache to the point where he thought it might utterly break.

“There was a prayer,” he said instead. “A village near the shrine. Some sort of creature is burning down their houses.”

Hua Cheng didn’t stop his comforting touch, and Xie Lian was grateful for it.

“You wish to help. We will set out right away.”

Xie Lian couldn’t help but smile, Hua Cheng didn’t even ask when or where or how, he just knew that Xie Lian would want to leave right away. Their things were packed quickly, and with a roll of the dice they stepped out the door of Puqi shrine. Here Xie Lian had a look around, trying to remember what he had seen in the dream.

“San Lang, give me some luck,” he said, subconsciously already reaching out for his hand. Holding it, he looked in a certain direction. “Yes, it’s this way.”

They set out on foot first and passed some familiar faces from the people nearby. They had been diligent in their prayers, and Xie Lian felt a warmth in his heart to know that he had helped them, and they believed. At least for now.

Some of them he asked in passing about any news from nearby villages, and could confirm that one a few days away had been ravaged by fires, only ever burning down one building, never going over to others. It already was very strange. After almost a day’s travel, the two of them found a friendly merchant that let them ride along in his cart full of different kinds of fabrics. He was not quite headed to the village, but Xie Lian sighed happily when he could rest his feet for a while.

Hua Cheng seemed quite interested in the fabrics, his two eyes - he had shifted his appearance a while ago - eyed them curiously.

“Would you like some new garments?,” Xie Lian asked. Not that Hua Cheng couldn’t just create them if he wanted to…

Hua Cheng shook his head, but reached for a peach fabric that was a little sheer. Beautiful flowers were embroidered on it. He held it up next to Xie Lian’s face, who blinked a little in surprise.

“I think this would suit you,” Hua Cheng said. “Would Gege let me have some new garments made?”

“I…,” Xie Lian thought about how he usually simply wore the same style of robe every day. He had two, and that had mostly been enough. Though now he thought of that red one he had worn in Paradise Manor, and the way Hua Cheng had watched him.

So instead of saying that he didn’t need an excessive amount of robes as they weren’t important to his cultivation at all, he simply nodded. In return, Hua Cheng smiled. He paid the man far too much money and so he offered that they could take more fabric if they wanted to, but Hua Cheng seemed only focused on this one. Xie Lian didn’t know why, but it made him blush.

He knew that Hua Cheng’s thoughts were not always decent. It was still strange to think of himself as someone to be desired at times. But Hua Cheng did desire him, and Xie Lian realised that oftentimes his love had these thoughts when they were surrounded by other people.

He tried very hard not to let his blush spread further, and cleared his throat.

“What do you think could burn down these houses?,” he wondered to no one in particular.

Hua Cheng shrugged.

“Hard to say. We must see it for ourselves.”

Xie Lian nodded. He hadn’t really expected to find out anything at the moment, it was always difficult since most people did not actually know the difference between a ghost or a monster. Only the fact that the fires hadn’t spread currently told them that this was not the act of a human being, although there was still a faint possibility if the person was skilled. Truly they had to investigate for themselves.

The journey still took them a few days. Whether walking or hitching another ride, Xie Lian enjoyed being out in the mortal realm again, feeling the breeze on his skin, the sun warming them from above. And whenever they were alone on the road Hua Cheng would take his hand or wrap an arm around his shoulders, and Xie Lian thought that life like this was perfect.

They didn’t find a shelter when night fell, instead turned into the forest for a little until they found a small clearing. It didn’t matter if there was dangerous wildlife nearby, with Hua Cheng’s luck on their side, Xie Lian felt safe no matter where they were.

Hua Cheng took off his outer robe and spread it on the ground. Laying there together, they could see stars twinkling above them. Xie Lian was pulled close and let his head rest on Hua Cheng’s chest. The night was not too cold and so they didn’t need anything else but each other.

“San Lang?”

“Mhm?”

“Do you sleep when I sleep?,” Xie Lian asked.

There was a pause before Hua Cheng answered.

“Sometimes.”

Xie Lian had to chuckle to himself. He had figured that would be the answer, but sometimes he liked teasing San Lang just a little bit.

“And the other times?,” he continued.

Another small pause.

“Sometimes I attend to business.”

“Oh. I don’t often notice you leaving,” Xie Lian replied. “You’re always there when I wake up. What about the other other times?”

“Gege is really going to make me say it, huh?,” Hua Cheng sighed, and Xie Lian could hear the pout he was surely making right now.

“I just want to know,” he said very innocently.

“I watch Gege sleep. I cannot help it. Gege is too beautiful.”

Finally he sat up to see Hua Cheng’s pout and the way he tried to avoid looking at him.

“Oh, I had no idea.”

“Really?,” Hua Cheng looked at him again. “Do you hate it? I will stop.”

“I don’t,” Xie Lian said, and leaned down to kiss the tip of his nose. “If San Lang thinks I am so beautiful, how can I stop you?”

Hearing these words from Hua Cheng bloomed warmth in his chest. That this simple man in simple robes was worshipped like this… He was never going to be the person he was when he was young, but this one man’s love felt even greater than that of the entire Xian Le kingdom.

“Gege is too generous.”

“Perhaps I should lie down then, to give you ample opportunity to watch me.”

“Now you are teasing…”

“Maybe a little bit,” Xie Lian admitted.

Hua Cheng could never be mad at him. Soon he was smiling again and before falling asleep the two kissed, getting lost in their own little world here in the forest, where seemingly no one else was. Thankfully Xie Lian’s dreams were peaceful that night, and he was rested for the last leg of their journey. Hua Cheng made sure that his clothes were dusted off properly, his hat on and not crooked before they set out once more.

Xie Lian was sure that he must have passed through this village once before, seeing how close it was to Puqi shrine. The simple houses were familiar, as were the colourful trees just outside of it. Yet now there lay a strange quiet over the village, as if people were afraid to be too loud, as if something could come haunt them if they did.

The two approached the first tea shop they came across, where only very few patrons were currently residing. Most of them appeared to be travellers, just passing through. When they arrived, the shop’s owner noticed the way he was dressed, and came to greet them.

“Ah, Taoist, you didn’t perchance come to our village with a purpose?,” he asked. Evidently whatever happened wasn’t a secret.

Xie Lian nodded.

“I was brought by the Crown Prince,” he explained. “Would you mind pointing me in the direction of your elder? Was he the one who prayed to him?”

“He was!,” the man nodded enthusiastically. He stepped past them and they followed to watch him point to a larger house down the road. “He lives over there, he will be able to tell you everything.”

Xie Lian thanked him and stepped outside once more, overhearing the man muttering to himself.

“A prayer like that and a Taoist just shows up a few days later! I’ll have to visit the shrine later too…”

“Gege they already like you,” Hua Cheng said, looking very pleased. “They have good taste.”

“We will see what they’ll say once this is all over,” Xie Lian replied. He didn’t want to test his luck. Then again, this time Hua Cheng was by his side… Though a part of him wanted to do this mostly by himself. It wasn’t often that he received prayers like these, and he wanted to do this right. Help the common people. Most likely Hua Cheng already knew this.

They arrived a few minutes later and were eagerly received by the elder’s servant. Nearby were the still smoking ruins of a house, but Xie Lian thought it was better to talk first, investigate later. They didn’t have to wait long in the small parlour that they were led to when a rotund man welcomed them enthusiastically.

“Welcome to this poor village,” he exclaimed. “This humble elder is Lu Zhuo, I am so happy that my prayers have been answered.”

“Yes,” Xie Lian still felt a little awkward pretending he hadn’t been the one being prayed to. “That’s why I was sent. My name is Xie Lian and this is San Lang my… assistant.”

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Hua Cheng smile for just a split second. Instead of saying anything he just reached for the tea that had been served for them and took a sip.

“Wonderful, wonderful,” Lu Zhuo muttered. “The elder of Puqi village, we exchange letters every so often. He raved about this problem solving god, and when these fires started I didn’t hesitate to build a shrine and pray! We are blessed to have been listened to.”

“A problem solver!,” Xie Lian blurted out, turning to Hua Cheng with a big smile on his face. “Did you hear that San Lang?”

They thought of him as a god who solved problems! They thought of him not as a useless scrap god, but someone who helped them!

“En,” Hua Cheng nodded, but there was a twinkle in his eye.

“Well yes, that’s why he sent you, isn’t it?,” the elder seemed a little confused, but then drifted off. “Although lately I’ve also heard talk of the shrine needing a second figure with the Crown Prince…”

“Nevermind that right now,” Xie Lian said quickly. “Please do tell me what you know about these fires. I was able to see that there are only ever single houses affected.”

“I would like to say that it was the skill of our people putting them out, but alas it was not,” Lu Zhuo sighed. “Instead it appears that these flames erupt suddenly and are unable to be put out by water or sand, whatever we’ve tried! And they only stop when nothing is left.”

“When did they start?,” Xie Lian asked.

“About a month ago. Naturally at first we thought it was a regular fire. These things happen,” he sighed. “But then it became clear it was more than that.”

“Were there any… victims?”

The air grew colder as Lu Zhuo’s expression faded from neutral to devastated.

“There were. A couple with their child. An elderly man. Two brothers who lived together, only one remained alive, from the latest fire.”

Xie Lian’s hand tensed, and in that moment Hua Cheng leaned into his presence a bit more. Not quite touching, but comforting nonetheless. He was so happy that Hua Cheng was here with him.

“Could we talk to them? And take a look at the ruins?,” Xie Lian continued.

“Oh yes, he is here in the house with me, as he can’t go back to his…,” he turned towards a servant who walked off to notify the man. “And of course feel free to do whatever you think is necessary. I will also have chambers prepared for you to stay in.”

“There’s no need,” they were the first words Hua Cheng had said since entering. “The inn will do fine.”

“But-”

“We must be free in our investigation,” Xie Lian said hastily. “We thank you kindly for your generous offer.”

“Well, whatever you think is best,” he said, a little confused, but the three stood to make their way towards the latest victim. As they stood his gaze wandered to Xie Lian’s neck, and the blood in his body froze.

Hua Cheng’s bite!!!!

He had completely forgotten about it! Because it was Hua Cheng, he didn’t let it heal as quickly as he could have. He liked thinking about it every now and then, but had completely forgotten that it was visible to other people. Why had no one said anything?! Perhaps they were too embarrassed, knew too well how exactly it had been created.

Lu Zhuo had turned his back to them as he led them down a hallway, and Xie Lian was panicking. He didn’t have his silk bands with him anymore since the cursed shackles were gone, thanks to Hua Cheng. All he had left over was…

“Ruoye,” he whispered.

Immediately the last silk band that he had, his spiritual weapon, wrapped around his neck and shoulder, covering the bite there. Xie Lian sighed a little, and glanced at Hua Cheng who was very innocently looking ahead and following their guide. Why hadn’t _he_ said anything either…? Now Xie Lian was the one being teased.

The place was by no means a large mansion, but it had an inner garden that was lovingly maintained that they passed on the way. Xie Lian was admiring a particularly beautiful white flower when he thought he saw a shape pass by. He quickly went a little closer, but what had appeared to be a small humanoid figure was already gone.

“Gege?,” Hua Cheng asked softly. “You saw it too?”

Xie Lian nodded. Something to take note of.

They continued to a small but nicely furnished room where a man was waiting for them, bowing slightly before making room for them to sit. It was cramped and Hua Cheng’s shoulder was pressed closely to his own. The man’s face was partially bandaged, as was his left arm and hand.

“Thank you for speaking with us,” Xie Lian said. “We will be quick, so you can rest again.”

The man nodded, then grimaced as the movement seemed to have hurt his burns.

“Please don’t strain yourself,” he added quickly, then rummaged in his sleeve. Good thing he had packed a little medicine. He slid it over the table. “This should help. Could you tell us what you saw the day of the fire?”

The man’s voice was raspy and strained. He talked slowly, choosing his words carefully, and so Xie Lian focused his attention on him.

“Some memories are a bit hazy. It was two days ago,” he started. “I had just gotten home from a day in the fields and was ready to eat and go to bed. But then I thought I heard a child outside.”

Xie Lian and Hua Cheng exchanged a quick glance. The shape they had seen could have been the size of a child.

“It sounded as if it was outside so I was looking everywhere, thinking it had hidden somewhere. I couldn’t make out what it was saying. Then I turned and it looked as if the fire had simply sneaked up on me! It spread so fast, and in the end I managed to crash out through the door. I…,” he paused as if he were trying to remember what had happened. “I could swear that there was someone pulling on the door, helping me, but I didn’t see anyone. Only then did people from nearby arrive and helped me put out my burning clothes.”

Xie Lian pondered this for a moment. In this case, had someone really helped him? A child, or a child spirit? Or was it the one responsible? Many questions were still left unanswered.

Beside him Lu Zhuo shuddered.

“An evil child spirit!,” he exclaimed. “How could such a thing come to be!”

“Let us not be hasty,” Xie Lian said, then turned to the victim once more. “Is there anything that you would say connects you to the other victims? Something you had in common?”

The man hesitated, deep in thought.

“Well… I knew them all from being in the same village. I would say we were friendly and would exchange words sometimes.” He moved to adjust the bandages on his hand. For a moment Xie Lian thought that he was able to see a mark there. “Other than that, I cannot say that I know of something deeper that would connect us.”

“Thank you for your time,” Xie Lian nodded to him, and the three of them got up to leave the man to rest once more. At the entrance of the house, he turned to Lu Zhuo. “We will now inspect the houses, they should not be hard to find. If we have more questions we will return.”

“Of course! Anything you need, please do not hesitate!”

They bowed as Hua Cheng stood still and went back out into the street.

“I don’t like him,” Hua Cheng immediately said.

“Hm? The elder? He seemed eager to help.”

“No, the other guy,” he corrected.

“Ah. Well,” Xie Lian pondered for a moment as they walked down the street. “I think there is more to this. Exploring the ruins will be an important step.”

“Gege knows best,” Hua Cheng said, as he often did. Yes, he was definitely letting Xie Lian lead. Most likely he had a lot of other thoughts that he could share, but decided not to as he let Xie Lian take the lead.

Not quite all the way though. About halfway to the first ruined house, Hua Cheng pointed out a flower by the side of the road. Always interested in what Hua Cheng had to show him, Xie Lian went to look at it, when he found himself pulled into an alleyway. The flower was forgotten when his back suddenly hit the side of a building, and Hua Cheng pressed an aggressive kiss to his lips.

Oh Xie Lian was so weak…

Instead of pushing him away to continue the investigation, Xie Lian gave into the kiss. He parted his lips and felt Hua Cheng’s tongue press against his own. Xie Lian’s hands were helplessly grasping at the red fabric pressed so close to him.

His eyes remained closed when Hua Cheng pulled back, and he panted against his lips.

“San Lang… There’s… There’s...”

“Do you really have to hide it?,” Hua Cheng asked, his hand coming to the crook of his neck where Xie Lian had used Ruoye to hide the bite mark he left.

“People will talk!,” Xie Lian pointed out. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me all this way…”

“People should know that you’re mine,” Hua Cheng said. There was a fire in his eyes.

“But you know I am yours,” he replied gently. “Isn’t that the most important thing?”

Hua Cheng brushed his thumb over the spot, a few more times, his eyes not leaving it either.

“San Lang knows I didn’t heal it… for you,” Xie Lian continued. “But I can’t just show it to everyone.”

He placed his hand gently over Hua Cheng’s, and willed Ruoye to move so that the mark was exposed once more.

“It could be gone by now, but I wanted to keep it.”

Hua Cheng’s eyes held a lust he had only rarely seen, as if he were unable to hold back and would ravage him at any moment. Right here in this alley. It was impossible, they could never do it, but the thought somehow excited him…

“Gege…,” Hua Cheng finally tore his eyes from the mark to look at him. The lust seemingly gone, or suppressed for now. “I’m sorry.”

Xie Lian shook his head, and took Hua Cheng’s head in his hands.

“San Lang doesn’t have to apologise. You know I am yours. Eternally.”

Hua Cheng nodded, and when he kissed him next he was much more gentle, hands on his waist. They lost a little bit of time standing there, kissing almost out in the open. But Xie Lian eventually reminded them that they had people to help.

Finally they were able to take in the first ruined house. It had belonged to the couple with the child, chronologically the first one that had burned. Here it had all started. Two walls of the square building had collapsed, leaving the living room accessible by walking through the ruins of the bedroom. The two were careful to turn over broken furniture to try and find clues.

“There is a strong evil energy here,” Xie Lian said. “Even after many weeks. Something must have wanted them dead badly.”

“Hm,” Hua Cheng said noncommittally. Xie Lian was mostly talking to himself.

He was careful to turn over as much as he could, though some parts still broke apart in his hands, with Hua Cheng having the same happen to him. It appeared that the bodies of the couple had been taken away, and they would have to ask to see them eventually if still possible. But Xie Lian hadn’t been prepared to find a pile of ashes that looked different from the rest of the house. This wasn’t an object that had been burned.

“Oh no,” Xie Lian pressed a hand to his mouth as his heart sank. Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder as he knelt down.

“I’m sorry, Gege.”

“The child...,” Xie Lian couldn’t say anything else. All that was suddenly possible was to kneel right here and stare at this pile of ashes, the world having ceased to exist. How cruel must this being have been, to kill a child?! His hammering heart raced from utter sadness to rage, but neither emotions would help him avenge.

Xie Lian took a deep breath, and forced himself to look at the signs.

“They’re ashes,” he said. “A normal house fire would not have reduced the child to ashes. With the strength of the evil energy still lingering here, what did this must have been at least a ‘wrath’.”

A fire ghost of some kind, at least a wrath level… If Xie Lian wasn’t so out of touch with the world even after having ascended again he might know who they were dealing with here. But he didn’t want to contact Ling Wen yet, there were still more clues to collect.

With a heavy heart, he took a pouch from his sleeve and made sure all the ashes of the child were collected, so that it could eventually rest with the parents. His sleeve felt a thousand times more heavy than it had before, and he didn’t notice that he was walking with Hua Cheng’s arm around them until they had arrived at the next house. He hadn’t even noticed anyone staring, and at the moment he did not really care either.

“Thank you, San Lang,” he said softly.

“Hm? What for?”

“For being here.” He smiled up at him, and for a moment Hua Cheng seemed to be surprised.

“I’ll always be here when Gege needs me.”

“And that is what I’m thankful for,” he replied, leaning against his strong chest for a moment longer before steeling himself to go inside.

The old man’s house. Maybe he should have gotten their names, but thinking about the pouch in his sleeve just made it harder. This house was not as badly burned as the other, and there were more things to inspect. Mundane, for the most part. The remnants of his bed, a statue to a god that was now unrecognisable, a few kitchen utensils that had survived the fire somehow.

All steeped in even more evil energy. It was getting stronger the more recent the fires where, and Xie Lian’s skin felt tingly, in an uncomfortable way. It lessened when Hua Cheng was closer to him, and it seemed the more they inspected the houses the less time they spent further apart.

Xie Lian was about to get frustrated when he finally got a glimpse of something, following the strength of the evil energy. A symbol, scratched into the wall behind a cabinet that crumbled under his touch. It was obviously damaged, but he thought with a bit of an imagination it looked like a stylised flame. Was this the mark of the creature, or had it been there before?

Either way, after more long hours of looking through the third house, they found the same symbol once more, but when Xie Lian finally stood once more and noticed his hands were blackened from the ashes, there was no sun that illuminated them through the broken roof. He looked up to notice that evening had arrived, it had taken them all day.

“Gege,” Hua Cheng said gently, taking his hand though it was stained so thoroughly. “You’re tired. Let us find the inn.”

“Ah, my hands, don’t touch them,” he pulled them back again. “Look, we’re back at the tea house. I will ask if I can wash up there.”

The owner that had first greeted them did so again, although a little reluctantly when seeing Xie Lian’s hands. He still agreed to let him wash up, and prepared some tea of them while Hua Cheng waited. After walking around all day Xie Lian couldn’t help but sit down here, drawn in by the fragrant warmth of the tea.

He sighed, taking the first sip. For a moment he closed his eyes, taking in the day.

“So either the victims were marked before or after the attack,” he mused. “Assuming that the first house had the same mark, but it was destroyed in the process. Which would hint that they were marked before.”

“En,” Hua Cheng agreed. The tea cup was in his hand, but he wasn’t drinking, just watching Xie Lian think.

“It could be that this mark connected them, perhaps some sort of.... Bond they shared. It just seems unlikely, given how different they all were, but not impossible,” he continued. “Another option is that these marks were put there to attract the creature. By someone who had hatred for them, for whatever reason. Which would connect them to someone else. Additionally, if I remember correctly the surviving victim had the mark on his body, too. Not just the house was marked but the man, most likely to ensure his death.”

“Hmhm.”

“I think we should look at the last house tomorrow, then ask to see if there are… any bodies left over.”

“Good idea, Gege.”

Xie Lian watched him for a moment.

“You don’t mind that I am not asking you?,” he asked.

“Not at all.” Hua Cheng’s smile was genuine. “Gege doesn’t need my help, you’re very strong and clever. But if you do want to ask, you know where I am.”

“Thank you for understanding,” he said, and leaned forward in his seat. He was about to reach out for Hua Cheng’s hand when the owner came by.

“A few treats for the Taoist and his assistant,” he said, setting some pastries on the table. They looked very delicate, shaped like pale pink flowers and had a sweet fragrance.

“Much appreciated,” Xie Lian said with a smile. He reached out right away when he noticed Hua Cheng glance at the owner with a rather sour expression.

“Hm, San Lang,” he said after having taken a first bite. The pastry still in his fingers, he held it up for Hua Cheng to try. “It’s really good.”

Hua Cheng glanced at his fingers, then at the pastry he had taken a bite out of. The sour expression vanished, and he leaned in to take a bite as well, lips brushing over Xie Lian’s fingertips. He tried very, very hard not to blush, but it was still impossible for him, despite having been the one to initiate this.

“What do you think?,” he asked, his voice only a little shaky.

“Not as delicious as Gege,” was Hua Cheng’s verdict.

“S-San Lang!,” Xie Lian hissed, looking around. But aside from the owner, currently adjusting his sleeve, there was no one in the tea house. “You- You-”

Hua Cheng’s smile showed that he was very pleased with himself.

Together they finished off the last pastry, thanked the owner again and made their way to the inn two streets over. For such a small village it seemed rather large, and the interior was comfortably furnished with a small dining area as well.

“One room,” Hua Cheng declared immediately. This was not helping Xie Lian’s blush.

“We are but humble Taoists,” he tried to explain. “Yes one room will… suffice.”

“We’ll need a bath, and dinner,” Hua Cheng continued. “After that Ge- the Taoist must not be disturbed.”

That explanation seemed to have made sense for the Madame of the inn who agreed and gave them their door plate and the two rather quickly made their way upstairs. The room itself was just as comfortable as expected, with a rather large bed to the side, and a small sitting area in the middle. By the window were a few pamphlets to read of popular stories of the area and Xie Lian flipped through them for a moment, but he felt exhausted.

The clear space of the room was soon filled with a bathtub and hot water, the sitting area held fragrant food that made his stomach rumble, though it hadn’t been very long since he ate something. Hua Cheng came to undo the sash that held Xie Lian’s robes together.

“Wait-,” he reached into his sleeve, and took out the pouch with the ashes. There was a small cupboard that he placed them in, whispering a little prayer for the child’s peace. “Soon you can rest.”

Hua Cheng helped him stand up again, wrapping his arms around him from behind. Xie Lian was so, so grateful for his presence here. He had been aware from the beginning that there would be people he couldn’t save, but something like this… It still shook him. Slowly, something pressed against him from behind, and he felt soft lips against his nape. Xie Lian sighed.

“Gege, come bathe. You go first.”

He was gently led towards the bathtub and undressed, Hua Cheng even helped him step into it. The warm water engulfed him like a gentle embrace, and behind him, Hua Cheng undid the ribbon tying his hair together. Xie Lian didn’t have to do anything, it was those gentle hands that carded through his hair to untangle any knots, that wet his hair with a sponge, then brushing it over his chest in a soothing motion.

Xie Lian closed his eyes and let Hua Cheng caress him. That’s what it felt like, rather than being washed. Every so often there would be a kiss pressed to his shoulder, or a morsel of food pressed to his lips, all of which were fragrant and delicious. By the time Hua Cheng was finished with him, and he was dry once more, he felt incredibly sleepy. Already being in his love’s arms, he didn’t feel like moving anywhere else anyway.

“Hmmm, San Lang should take a bath too…,” he mumbled, thinking of how selfish he had been. He tried to sit up. “Let me wash your hair.”

“No need, Gege must rest,” Hua Cheng kept him in his arms, and Xie Lian just didn’t seem to be able to find the strength to fight him.

“San Lang insists?”

“Yes.”

“Well then…” He turned in his arms so that he could kiss his cheek and take in his scent, noticing that the eye patch had returned and Hua Cheng was back to his tall, strong, true form. “Will San Lang tell me a story?”

“A romantic story?”

“Of course.”

Hua Cheng cleared his throat, and Xie Lian became eager. It was starting!

“Once upon a time, there was a boy.”

Oh good, there was always a boy! He was already rooting for him.

“The boy was a servant to a noble family. He worked hard every day, for the family was a good and kind one that had taken him in when he didn’t have anything else. The boy had soon become very talented, he would repair things in the house, cook, sew, whatever he was asked to do, the boy excelled.”

“But since he was poor, despite his many talents, he couldn’t expect to rise any higher in his station. To the boy that was okay, since he had a roof over his head and a family that took care of him the way he took care of them.”

“One day, the family’s kind and gentle mother bore her husband a young master. The baby was lively and soon the whole village came to congratulate the family. From then on the boy had even more responsibilities, but he never complained one bit, for he enjoyed taking care of this new family member. He decided right then and there that he would devote his life to not only serving but also protecting him.”

Xie Lian sighed. Though the ages were reversed, this part of the story sounded very familiar. Hua Cheng liked telling stories like this, and he liked listening to them.

“Time passed very quickly for the boy, with all his new responsibilities with every new age the Young Master reached. One day, the Young Master had grown up tall and handsome, a radiant young man that drew the eye of every woman in the village…”

There it was. The ‘but’ was coming!

“But…”

He was right!

“... He also drew the eye of the boy. He wasn’t able to tell himself when exactly it had happened, but the boy had fallen in love with the Young Master.”

“Wait,” Xie Lian interrupted. “If the Young Master had grown up, wouldn’t the boy be a man?”

“Shh,” Hua Cheng scolded. “I am telling the story.”

He cleared his throat once more.

“The boy, having become a man, was utterly at a loss with what to do. He saw the Young Master every day, and the two were closer than either of them were with anyone else. While the man didn’t think he could rise above his station, the Young Master had appointed him as his right hand, and even more responsibilities to his shoulders. He even commanded all the servants in the house now. But his heart still ached every day, knowing that there would never be something more between him and the Young Master.”

Xie Lian looked up at Hua Cheng, but could only really see his chin. Did he ache for Xie Lian for so many years?

“Soon the Young Master became the new master of the house, and as such he was expected to marry. Every young noble lady from the nearby towns came to vie for his attention, but none of them seemed to satisfy him. ‘Too old’, he would say. ‘Too young.’ ‘Too tall.’ ‘Too small.’ Every little bit he could complain about, he would. There was another lady waiting to meet him when the Young Master asked the man to accompany him on a ride out with his horses.”

“Of course the man agreed, and they travelled to the nearby woods where they would often fish in a pond. The Young Master was silent for a very long time, and the man did not know what to do. Finally the Young Master said: ‘I know what I must do for the sake of my family, and to keep the bloodline going, but it hurts my heart to do so.’ For the first time in the man’s life, his heart jumped with a faint hope. ‘Young Master, why does your heart ache?,’ he asked with his shaky voice. ‘Because my heart belongs to you, you have always protected it.’”

“Being acknowledged in this way, the man was speechless. Under the blooming plum tree by the pond, the Young Master and the man kissed for the very first time. But little did they know that the newest suitor had followed them to this place, and had witnessed how they exchanged their vows of everlasting love. When they noticed, it struck fear into their hearts.”

“Oh no,” Xie Lian heard himself say. “There has to be a happy ending.”

Hua Cheng ignored him, and continued.

“The two eternal lovers returned to the estate to find the suitor waiting for them. She was beautiful and held a kind smile, but they both knew that they would not live through this scandal if it came out. The lady invited them to sit as if she owned the place. ‘Young Master, I have a proposition for you. I do not mind that you love somebody else, for I have my own love that is waiting for me. If only the two of us married, we could have a chance to truly be happy with the ones we loved, while playing pretend for everybody else.’”

“The Young Master was shocked to hear such a confession, and he was reminded of the servant girl that was travelling with this Young Lady. It appeared that fate had brought them together. The wedding had been a rushed affair, not satisfying enough to the locals, but it brought happiness to two pairs of hearts that could now live peacefully at least in the confines of their large mansion. For those eternal lovers, it was the greatest happiness that they had ever known.”

Xie Lian clapped excitedly at the story’s happy conclusion and Hua Cheng’s excellent storytelling. His voice was so pleasant to listen to that Xie Lian would have fallen asleep had he not been so invested in the Young Master’s fate.

“A happy ending!,” he exclaimed and sat up to kiss Hua Cheng’s cheek. “I’m so happy for them.”

Hua Cheng had to smile, he couldn’t help feel pleased by Xie Lian’s praise.

“I’m glad Gege liked the story.”

“I like all of your stories.”

Lying close together, as if unable to keep apart, their lips met once more.

“Hmm, they were lucky,” he sighed against Hua Cheng’s lips, eyes closed. He was starting to feel sleepy again and snuggled against his chest. “Finding someone like them. They could get married. Do you think they got secretly married to each other, too?”

“They very much did.” There was something in Hua Cheng’s voice that Xie Lian was too sleepy to recognise.

“How lucky indeed… They must have been so pretty in red.”

A pause.

“You are,” Hua Cheng whispered, but Xie Lian had already fallen asleep.

White No-Face visited him again in his dreams that night. It was a brief one, thankfully, but he woke up with sweat on his skin anyway, and Hua Cheng gently whispering into his ear that everything was alright. He must have been talking and twitching. Still confused by his dream his words were slurred as he apologised to him.

It was very early in the morning, but a sliver of sun could be seen rising from the distance. They may as well get up and continue their investigation. Farmers could be seen working rice fields on the rolling hills. From a small shop that was already open they got a few steamed buns, and the two went to the last house, finding that same symbol there once more.

“The energy here is different,” Xie Lian said. “Among the evil there is something else.”

“Be on your guard,” Hua Cheng warned, but he had the feeling that whatever still remained wasn’t evil.

“It’s okay to come out,” Xie Lian said gently, remembering something the last victim had told them. “I know you were trying to help.”

Behind them something crunched, a broken piece of wood that was splintered by a small foot. Too small. Xie Lian turned quickly to see a little boy come from behind a corner. He definitely hadn’t been there before, and the slight green glow told them that this boy was a ghost.

A newly formed ghost that had already taken on a physical form? How was this possible?

“I didn’t do it,” the boy said. He had big brown eyes and dark curly hair, his clothes were singed at the edges. Xie Lian slowly walked over and knelt before him. The strands of hair weren’t perfect, and at a glance his palms were clear too, but the body was still quite a feat. “I really didn’t do it.”

“I know,” Xie Lian reassured him. That the elder assumed he had been an evil child spirit was understandable, but wrong. This little ghost didn’t exude evil energy at all. “Whatever you heard, it’s wrong. People are afraid of what they don’t understand.”

“You believe me?,” the little ghost asked hopefully.

“I do,” Xie Lian tried to be reassuring. “What’s your name?”

“Tao Min,” the boy replied. Some of his urgency had left him and now he looked more shy.

Xie Lian smiled at him.

“It is nice to meet you. I’m Xie Lian, this is my friend San Lang,” he pointed towards Hua Cheng. “We’re trying to find out what happened, and how to stop it from happening again.”

“Oh you came to help!,” the boy hopped towards him. “I was trying to help too! But it’s so hard, I don’t understand what is happening.”

“You’re very brave to try,” Xie Lian said, he reached out with his hand. “Come with us, we can talk somewhere nicer.”

Hesitantly the young boy took his hand, and when he did some of Xie Lian’s energy surged into him. The green grow became lesser, and he looked more like a still living boy. With a start, Xie Lian realised that the ashes in his sleeve were most likely this very Tao Min. He swallowed.

“Would you like me to carry you?”

Tao Min nodded enthusiastically, and Xie Lian picked him up to rest him on his waist. He watched up at him with big eyes and somehow he was reminded of Hua Cheng, and how he had looked at him all those years ago. He had to chuckle a little to himself.

“Gege, can’t he walk?,” Hua Cheng glanced at the boy.

“He’s so little, it will be faster if I just carry him. Besides, he’s been through a lot.

Hua Cheng just ‘hrmph’-ed. Together they went back to the inn, sneaking inside so that no one would see the boy. He had died in the fire and word must have gotten around, it would be awkward to explain why he was now suddenly here again.

“Gege can I eat something?,” Xie Lian turned, surprised to hear that this hadn’t come out of Hua Cheng’s mouth.

“Don’t call him that!,” Hua Cheng seemed almost angry.

“But big mister called him ‘Gege’ too…” The boy was utterly confused.

“San Lang,” Xie Lian warned. It was no use to get upset at a little ghost boy. “Let him…”

Hua Cheng crossed his arms, looking about as old as the boy at the moment. Xie Lian didn’t indulge his behaviour… for the moment at least. If he was honest, he liked that only he called him ‘Gege’, especially _like that_ , but this boy was going through a lot.

“Now, are you really hungry?,” he asked him.

“Hmmm,” Tao Min thought for a moment. “I guess not. I haven’t eaten in a while though.”

“Well if you’re not hungry then you probably don’t need to, right?”

Tao Min nodded seriously, as if to say ‘That makes a lot of sense!’. How on earth was Xie Lian going to tell him that he was dead… Regardless of the information he might have, they had to eventually make sure that he was able to move on.

“Now little man, I have to ask you some things that are very important, okay?”

Tao Min nodded again, then decided to crawl into Xie Lian’s lap. With an arm around him to steady him, he looked down into his very serious face and his heart ached. How old was he? Five, maybe six?

“Do you remember the big fire in your house?”

“I do,” Tao Min scrunched up his little face as if he were thinking really hard. “There was a man there. He was on fire and he… He came inside and then everything was so hot.”

Xie Lian glanced at Hua Cheng who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, not looking at either of them. His pouting had made way to a thoughtful expression. Xie Lian was almost completely sure that he already knew who this creature was.

“Gege, where are papa and mama?,” Tao Min asked, as if he had just remembered them.

He had been worried about this.

“They’re not here anymore,” he replied truthfully.

“Will they come back?”

“I’m sorry… no.”

He waited for the tears, and they eventually slowly formed in his big eyes. A few of them rolled down his cheek and Xie Lian fumbled for a handkerchief to quickly wipe them away. Despite these news though, Tao Min didn’t cry out.

“I think I knew that,” he said to Xie Lian. “I called out for them for a long time.”

“You’re a very brave little boy, do you know that?”

Tao Min just shrugged, but he didn’t mind that Xie Lian was still wiping his tears and holding him. For a while they just stayed like that, as he simply didn’t know what else to do.

“I saw another man,” Tao Min eventually said. “When I went to try and help the others.”

“You helped them?,” Xie Lian asked.

“Yes. Two, they didn’t want to listen to me. They shouted at me. But that man, he did listen, he came out of his house.”

The child’s voice the last victim had heard. It had been Tao Min, warning him of the burning man. The child was really brave to stay in this realm and try to help others, instead of moving on.

“What other man did you see?”

Just as those words left his mouth, he knew who Tao Min was going to say. Lingering around Hua Cheng and him when they were talking about this case, conveniently slipping in some free pastries to get closer. And Hua Cheng glancing at the man’s sleeve.

“The mister who makes the tea,” Tao Min told him. Just as he thought.

Under that sleeve had been the same symbol they found in the houses. Of course Hua Cheng had noticed!

“Did you see what he was doing?,” Xie Lian asked, trying not to think about how much time he had wasted for not realising sooner.

“Hm. One time he was there before the flaming man. I think. I don’t know why, but he was bleeding.”

“A blood sacrifice to summon…,” Xie Lian started.

“The fire walker,” Hua Cheng finished.

Xie Lian looked up at him, waiting for an explanation. He had planned on finally asking Hua Cheng anyway, saving himself the trip into the Telepathic Array to deal with Ling Wen. Besides, any information that he got from there would most likely not be as accurate as what Hua Cheng would be able to tell him.

“A ‘wrath’,” he confirmed what Xie Lian had already suspected. “A pyromaniac in life, scum that died and managed to have some people ‘worship’ him in exchange for burning their enemies.”

“San Lang don’t say,” and Xie Lian mouthed the word ‘scum’, then glanced at the boy in his arms.

For a moment Hua Cheng just blinked at him as if very confused, then his gaze softened.

“A very bad man,” he tried again. “An annoying menace that should have been destroyed long ago.”

“Well, we’ll take care of that then, won’t we?,” Xie Lian asked.

“En, of course. But Gege hardly needs me for someone so shi-,” he interrupted himself. “Weak.”

“Since there has been an attack once every week, we most likely still have some time,” Xie Lian wondered more to himself. “We should get out early tomorrow and end this. I suspect the tea shop owner will have a means to summon this creature. We should do so safely outside the village.”

“En.”

Finally Hua Cheng came from his place leaning against the wall to join them. He still looked at the boy with a rather wary expression, but didn’t seem that jealous anymore.

“Tao Min, surely you must be tired?,” Xie Lian asked him. Leading the question that way, Tao Min did actually yawn and press closer to him.

“Mhm.”

“Come, I’ll tuck you in.”

He gently carried the boy to their bed, already feeling Hua Cheng’s gaze on his back. But the bed was big enough for them all, and he made sure to tuck the small figure in, sitting with him for a while. He reached out to caress his forehead, waiting until his eyes closed. The hair really was rather impressive for such a young ghost, he noticed, touching it again. He even had eyelashes.

“Sleep well, brave little one.”

Very carefully he returned to Hua Cheng, who welcomed him with open arms. Now it was his turn to sit in the lap of someone taller. Hua Cheng had a strange look in his eyes.

“You like kids, Gege?”

“En. You don’t?”

…

“He takes up a lot of Gege’s time,” Hua Cheng said rather seriously, and Xie Lian couldn’t help but laugh a little.

“San Lang is still my most important boy,” he reassured him, fingers caressing those snow white cheeks. But he grew serious again. “We must help him, San Lang. I… still have his ashes.”

“His fate is in your hands,” Hua Cheng replied. Just like with him. The ring and the pouch suddenly grew a lot heavier on his body.

“It would be best to help him move on, wouldn’t it?”

“He is rather special,” Hua Cheng said to his surprise. “To form such a body.”

Xie Lian nodded, and leaned against him. Nothing was ever easy. They still had time to figure out what to do with him.

“But as a ghost…,” something was still on his mind. “He wouldn’t be able to ‘grow up’, would he?”

“In a way, he would. His mind would change, if given guidance, and with his powers he could create new forms of his body,” Hua Cheng explained. “However this would most likely remain his ‘true form’.”

“Hmm.”

“Gege? What are you thinking?”

“Merely wondering,” Xie Lian lied.

Hua Cheng definitely knew that he was lying, but didn’t comment on it any further, instead drew him closer into his arms. Xie Lian let his head rest on that strong shoulder. Thinking about the boy’s fate made him very tired, although the day was not over yet, so he made himself stand. The plan still stood, to take a look at the bodies if they could.

He made sure Tao Min was safely asleep before they left, hoping that if he woke up he would remain where he was. The village elder was a little taken aback by their request, but took them seriously nonetheless.

“Well, to be quite honest, there isn’t much left,” he explained. “The parents and the boy, they were already buried. Rather, what we could find of them. Same with the brothers. However the old man is still in the coffin house.”

“If we could see him, we would be grateful,” Xie Lian replied.

So they were led to the coffin house, and quickly left alone. They understood when they saw the state of the body, all of it’s skin badly burned to the point where it was black. A man of this age most likely didn’t need very long to die. Still the fire ravaged him into something like this.

“Even the body still radiates evil energy,” Xie Lian mumbled to himself. “What a vicious creature…”

“So does Gege though,” Hua Cheng pointed out, and Xie Lian almost slipped and fell.

“San Lang! This is serious!”

Hua Cheng chuckled to himself. Xie Lian knew full well that evil energy wasn’t always evil energy in the same way. Technically Hua Cheng was a ghost, but he had never seemed _evil_ to Xie Lian. Neither was the boy sleeping in their room.

“It’s certainly his work,” Hua Cheng commented, still eyeing the body.

“You can tell?”

“En. I ran into him a while back. Didn’t seem worth my time.”

To someone like Hua Cheng, this creature really must be small time. Xie Lian still took his time inspecting the body, and after leaning in closer and ignoring the smell that came off of it, he noticed another faint outline of the symbol on the man’s chest. Not exactly subtle, he thought. Then again perhaps that creature wanted to be noticed. Perhaps it didn’t even like being summoned this way to do someone’s dirty work.

The question remained: Why? What could these people possibly have done to that man that would warrant such a punishment? Xie Lian couldn’t think of anything.

“Humans can be terrible,” Hua Cheng said as if he read his mind. He walked around the coffin to put an arm around Xie Lian. “Do not think of why. Only think of how to end this.”

_Humans can be terrible…_ Before the thought could conjure up memories, Xie Lian made himself look up at Hua Cheng. His weary heart was immediately invigorated. So he looked at him for a little while longer, and welcomed the kiss Hua Cheng pressed to his lips, as they were alone in this room.

Hua Cheng let it linger, as if waiting for Xie Lian to kiss back. Who didn’t want to stop but was still very aware of where they were at the moment. The two made their way back down the main street, and Xie Lian was focused on that tea shop. More and more he just wanted to drag out the man and make him confess, but he did not know how he summoned the fire walker, how quickly a spectacle might turn into the entire town burning down.

“We have to lure him out,” Xie Lian whispered. They were walking shoulder to shoulder, Hua Cheng’s hands behind his back, though he knew that if Xie Lian allowed it, he would hold his hand right here in the open.

“What about the boy?,” he suggested.

“No! We can’t involve him like that.”

“But he wished to help. It could help him find peace,” Hua Cheng pointed out. “Let the boy show himself, the man might follow.”

Xie Lian wrung his hands trying to think of another solution, but it really was the only thing that made sense. Why would the man follow the two of them? The very people here to bring a stop to this. And he was sure that if he asked, the boy would do whatever he wanted him to do.

In the end he sighed, and they returned to the inn. Tao Min was still sleeping soundly, his back turned to them. He looked so much like a normal child this way…

Xie Lian took off his outer robe and slipped under the blanket with him. Lying there with a bit of space between them, he was surprised to see him move. Still sleeping, Tao Min now faced him, his little hand coming to clasp the front of his robes. Every so slowly, he inched closer until he was flush against Xie Lian’s chest, and he held him that way.

A sigh escaped his chest.

Behind him, Hua Cheng slipped into the bed as well. Over his shoulder, he looked at Tao Min without saying anything. Why did this give Xie Lian such a strange feeling? Being not just with Hua Cheng, but a little one as well…? Maybe it was the tragedy of this case, of this young life being lost so soon. Yes, that must be it.

“Gege can sleep now,” Hua Cheng whispered into his ear. “San Lang will protect you.”

“Both of us?,” Xie Lian asked, leaning back against him. That presence was so comforting.

“Of course.”

Hua Cheng’s word was all he needed to drift off once more. Searing fire and screaming faces were mingled in Xie Lian’s dreams tonight. There were times where they didn’t let him go for weeks on end, finding new ways to torture him out of his memories and things from his daily life. The fire and the faces were about to consume Hua Cheng, and even in his dream he told himself: _Hua Cheng can’t die. He can’t die. I have his ashes. He would never leave me!_

He woke with a start but kept his eyes tightly closed as if scared that the real world might be fake after all. That he might wake to find himself back in Xian Le kingdom, trying to quell an epidemic that couldn’t be quelled. But slowly voices drifted to his ears.

“Gege is so pretty,” it was Tao Min!

“That’s right. The prettiest in the world,” Hua Cheng told him.

“It must be true,” Tao Min said it with such wonder, Xie Lian tried hard not to grin. He was still ‘asleep’, after all.

“Trust me, I know everything.”

“You do?!”

This time, Xie Lian couldn’t help but giggle, shaking a little against Hua Cheng’s broad chest.

“Gege is awake?,” Hua Chen asked, and finally Xie Lian opened his eyes to the most wonderful view. “Why did you laugh?”

“No reason,” he replied, and turned on his back. Tao Min was quick to snuggle against him again, and he patted his back reassuringly. “San Lang does know all the things. He even knew about the fire walker.”

Tao Min was looking up at San Lang with big eyes, believing every word he said. To be fair, Xie Lian almost was the same way. Sometimes it did seem as if Hua Cheng knew everything that went on in all the realms.

“He’s a fast learner,” Hua Cheng said, reaching out to pat the top of Tao Min’s head. As Xie Lian followed with his gaze, he noticed some of the strands of hair seemed to be even more defined than the day before. “One thing you must also know. Gege is a Crown Prince. To properly address him, call him ‘Your Highness’.”

“A prince!,” Tao Min’s eyes would be sparkling if they could. “That’s why Gege is so pretty! Princes are always pretty.”

“That’s right,” Hua Cheng agreed.

“San Lang…,” Xie Lian whined a little. The boy really didn’t have to know that. But Hua Cheng - he was grinning! Enjoying himself with the boy, finally. Even if it was at his expense.

“Your High- Highness,” Tao Min had a bit of difficulty pronouncing the word.

“You don’t have to call me that,” he said quickly. “‘Gege’ is fine. Or ‘Lian’.”

“Lian,” Tao Min tried, glancing at Hua Cheng, who nodded approvingly. The boy seemed to understand that Hua Cheng preferred him not using that other word to call him.

“Now, Tao Min,” Hua Cheng continued. “Will you be able to help us with the bad man?”

“San Lang!,” Xie Lian sat up sharply. “I-”

“Gege,” Hua Cheng said gently. “It’s the only way. He will be safe.”

“I want to help!,” Tao Min said quickly. “Tell me what I should do!”

Xie Lian sighed, and finally nodded.

“Pretend like you’re a ghost,” Hua Cheng told him.

_Oh no…_

“A ghost?,” Tao Min asked. He stood on the bed, and hopped in place a few times. Xie Lian couldn’t help but smile.

“No, that’s a fierce corpse,” he explained.

“Ghosts are fast and nimble,” Hua Cheng continued. “You must hide yourself from all others, and let only the bad man see you, okay? When he starts following you, lead him towards the woods.”

“A ghost… like a ghost…” Tao Min was thinking hard about this. He suddenly rushed off the bed and hid behind a cupboard, then peeked out at him, then hid again. “Like this?”

“Yes, very good,” Xie Lian applauded him a little. “What a good little ghost!”

Tao Min peeked out again, with the biggest grin on his little face. Xie Lian’s heart ached a little at the sight, but held his arms out when the boy ran towards him, the wavy hair bouncing as he did.

“We’ll catch him together!,” he said.

“Yes.” Xie Lian nodded.

To prepare they needed to scout out a place where the village would be safe from the fire walker. In case someone might recognise Tao Min, Xie Lian reluctantly let Hua Cheng’s bite heal, and used Ruoye to hide half of the boy’s face, looking so much like Hua Cheng had done so many years ago. Hua Cheng himself assumed a slightly less conspicuous form, that of the youth. Although he was still so handsome he drew many eyes, including Xie Lian’s.

“How did mister do that?,” Tao Min had asked with wide eyes at the change.

“I’m a ghost,” Hua Cheng winked at him, and the boy giggled.

“Ghost, ghosts!,” he whispered, as he had been told to be sneaky.

By the time the sun was setting again the three had practised their plan a few times, Tao Min never getting tired of it. Xie Lian fully concentrated on their task, not letting thoughts about the boy enter his mind. That he might be in danger, that he didn’t know what to do with him after all of this. No, none of these occupied his mind at all. The three were as ready as they could ever be. Hua Cheng took Xie Lian by the waist, and the two jumped on top of the tea shop’s roof.

Inside Tao Min would hide himself and peek out whenever the man was looking. Soon enough they were able to hear scared grumbling from him with their sensitive hearing, and then the boy was rushing outside. From their view up top they could see him rushing back and forth, a seemingly real boy playing hide and seek. But from the man’s point of view it seemed as if he could teleport.

Which, to be fair, in time he might be able to do.

Very slowly the boy led him towards the forest. The man was scared, but at the same time there was another intent in his eyes, and Xie Lian felt worried about Tao Min again. Hua Cheng just held him tighter as they followed across the rooftops, and eventually in the trees.

“Trust me, Gege. He will be fine.”

“Okay.” He looked into his eyes, knowing that if Hua Cheng said so, then it would be true.

Eventually they came to the designated clearing, where Tao Min hid out of sight for good. The man looked around, and started folding back the sleeve of his left arm. There it was, they had been right! The symbol.

“Tao Min, is that you?,” he called out. “It’s the uncle from the tea shop. You survived the fire, didn’t you? I’m so glad.”

The tone of voice made a shudder run down Xie Lian’s back, who was getting himself ready.

“Just come out and uncle can bring you back to town. It will all be alright.”

Xie Lian had enough. Soundlessly he jumped in front of the man, while Hua Cheng stood behind, unnoticed. As Xie Lian talked to him, he vanished into the shadows and even he wasn’t even able to see him anymore.

“Who are you?,” Xie Lian asked.

The man was startled by his sudden appearance.

“T-Taoist. What are you doing here? You know I am but a humble tea shop owner.”

“Stop trying to pretend.” Xie Lian motioned at the mark on his forearm. “We already know you summoned the creature. I wish to know why.”

The man looked to the side nervously, as if he were thinking about running away. Xie Lian took a step closer, finding himself having a hard time containing the spiritual energy in his body. Since losing the shackles, he still hadn’t quite learned to keep them under control. His eyes must be showing his struggle, faint energy radiating from them. The man’s face paled.

“W-what are you?,” he asked in turn.

“It doesn’t matter. Tell me now.”

“I-I’m Yang Hu. I do own the tea shop,” he said as if to explain himself. His hand wandered to the mark to cover it, as if it would make it go away.

“And what does a _humble_ tea shop owner do summoning ghosts and killing others?”

Yang Hu hesitated, looking around again. But in the end his eyes settled on Xie Lian again, and his expression changed. The fear and nervousness turned into anger.

“You know nothing of my struggles,” he told him.

“No amount of struggle warrants _this_. You killed a CHILD,” Xie Lian screamed the last word, making Yang Hu flinch.

“But he was right there! He’s not dead!”

Xie Lian was fuming. He got angry so rarely, but this… The man showed no remorse, not about the boy, not about any of them!

“Tell me then, of your struggles,” Xie Lian said, ignoring what Yang Hu had said. “Tell me what was _so_ awful that you had to kill all these people.”

“What is it to you? Aren’t you just here to kill me?”

“TELL. ME.”

Xie Lian’s voice reverberated throughout the forest. Birds took flight, leaves shot throughout as if wind had suddenly picked up. His anger brimmed within him, threatening to release completely.

“I was supposed to be the leader of this village,” Yang Hu screamed back at him. “It’s only because of them that I was reduced to this shit fucking tea shop! They slandered me!”

Xie Lian couldn’t believe it. All of this… to lead this village?! How was the position worth this much death?!

The wind picked up around him, grass and leaves flying through the air. He wanted to do bad things to this man, but he knew he couldn’t go that far. Bringing him to the elder was the right thing to do, to subdue him first so he could never summon the flame walker again.

Unfortunately, as they were talking, Xie Lian didn’t notice that Yang Hu had scratched into his arm. The scent of blood reached his nose too late, and a sudden wave of heat spread throughout the clearing. Blood that had activated the mark on his arm, of course! A blood sacrifice was always strong.

The fire walker arrived promptly. A humanoid shape, covered in flames, leaving them behind where he walked. The heat was fierce, even from this distance, and Xie Lian could understand how the corpses could have been left behind in the state that they were. Tao Min didn’t have a chance against such a creature! As he walked, a mere touch set a nearby tree on fire, lighting up brightly.

“Kill him!,” Yang Hu pointed at Xie Lian.

The creature glanced at Yang Hu, tilting his head as if he were annoyed by his command. But it seemed that he didn’t have a choice, and turned towards Xie Lian, walking slowly but determined.

Xie Lian was prepared. His body was glowing with spiritual energy, and he let it flow freely, a strange feeling to him. It had been so long since he had used it this way, as if it were unlimited. With the heat and his energy, his robes were fluttering wildly around him, his hair flying into his face. Focusing on the fire walker and the way he was coming steadily closer, Xie Lian didn’t notice the small figure running between them.

“DON’T HURT HIS HI-NESS,” Tao Min shouted at the top of his lungs, and in an instant Xie Lian deflated. His feet moved on their own, rushing towards the boy, who was much closer to the fire walker than himself.

And the flaming hand was reaching out to him.

“Don’t touch him,” Xie Lian screamed, reaching out but noticing that Ruoye wasn’t on his arm! It was on the boy already! “RUOYE.”

The silk band covering Tao Min’s head came to life, sensing his urgency. It recoiled slightly from the flaming hand, but Xie Lian’s panic was felt by it, too. Very bravely it wrapped around the chest of the boy, pulling him to the side with such strength that he went flying - into Hua Cheng’s arms.

“Gege, end it,” he told him.

Xie Lian nodded.

He let loose. As the clearing was threatening to burn, his spiritual power burst through his body and outside, a fierce wind blowing between people and trees, extinguishing some of the smaller flames already. Xie Lian dashed forward, his hand enveloped in a bright white light. The flame walker’s shoulder was pulled forward, though he could feel the heat it did not burn him and his other hand impacted into his chest.

A nauseating crack could be heard, the body breaking easily under the force of his punch. He had expected the flame walker to crumble, but the faceless head looked at him and tilted it once more, as if to challenge him.

If he wanted a challenge, Xie Lian could deliver.

Where his hand touched the chest of the flame walker, a sheen of energy started to spread. He was going to put him out, no matter what. His hand that gripped his shoulder tightened, another bone breaking, but finally the creature fought back. His punch was unexpectedly fast, but Xie Lian was faster and stronger. He started hurling flames towards Xie Lian, who had to stop his move to dodge them. More and more trees caught on fire, trapping them in a circular inferno.

They exchanged quick blows, Xie Lian dodging and coming back closer and closer. Each of his own attacks of spiritual energy widened the field he was creating on the flame walker's body. It was only a matter of time before he would be put out, and he could tell that he was getting desperate.

“His Hi-ness is so amazing,” came Tao Min’s voice from a little further away.

Xie Lian turned to look and couldn’t help but smile, the boy was watching with wide eyes, not scared at all. But the small moment of distraction gave the flame walker an opening. Xie Lian could feel sudden heat on his body, his robes caught fire!

The flames felt unnatural, he wasn’t sure if he could just put them out, so he decided to tear off his outer robe and fling it aside, he would take care of it later. But the moment he did, Tao Min suddenly screamed out. His small body was curling up in Hua Cheng’s arms, clinging to the front of his robes, writhing in pain.

“The ashes!,” Xie Lian screamed, realising they were still in the sleeve of his robe!

He ran to them, sliding to kneel by their side and with spiritual energy in his hand tried to put the flames out, ignoring how it was slowly getting too much to bear. Instead of making progress, the flames just seemed to spread and another scream came from Tao Min - suddenly much closer.

Xie Lian looked up to see Hua Cheng’s eye filled with hate. Back in his true form. A burst of butterflies exploded from behind him, surrounding Xie Lian and the burning robe. They settled in the flames, some of them fading upon touching them, but there were so many that they were slowly quenching the fires. A few others settled on Xie Lian’s hands, healing some of the small burns he had.

“It will be alright,” Hua Cheng’s deep voice was gentle as he spoke to Tao Min.

“It hurts…”

“I won’t hurt ever again,” Hua Cheng told him.

He was right. It won’t. Xie Lian finally finished it, taking the weakened form of the flame walker and hugged him close. This body may be covered in flame, but he could burn brighter than him. In an instant his energy engulfed him, fuelled by the rage and fear he felt hearing Tao Min scream. His own light blinded him, and when it was gone, so was the flame walker.

Xie Lian’s inner robes were partially burned as well, his chest almost completely bare and reddened from the heat. He glared at Yang Hu, who was hugging himself by the side, unable to flee with the flames surrounding them. They were starting to weaken, but Xie Lian would not let him go.

Ruoye shot out from Tao Min and wrapped around Yang Hu’s wrists. The man’s eyes were filled with fear, even his flame walker hadn’t been able to stop them!

“W-w-what are you?,” he stammered.

Xie Lian smiled.

“A humble Taoist just helping this village. You will return with us to the elder, and you will accept his judgement, or I will return.”

The man was so scared, he couldn’t do anything but nod feebly and do what he was told. As they were walking, Xie Lian took a look at Tao Min again, who was sucking on his thumb, sniffling a little. He couldn’t imagine the pain he must have felt, but he was still here. The pouch with the ashes was hanging off of Hua Cheng’s belt, barely holding together.

“I’m sorry Tao Min,” Xie Lian said gently, reaching out to pet his hair. “I should have been more careful.”

Tao Min shook his head, he didn’t understand why Xie Lian felt responsible. He didn’t know his ashes were the source of his pain. He didn’t even know he was dead.

“Big mister helped me,” he told Xie Lian.

“Stop,” Hua Cheng told Yang Hu, who obeyed.

“San Lang?”

Hua Cheng gently set Tao Min down for a moment, shrugged out of his own outer robe and put it on Xie Lian. It was much too big of course, sliding a little off of one shoulder, but it was much better than walking around shirtless.

“Thank you,” he whispered, looking up at him. He still looked so angry. “Thank you for saving Tao Min.”

“Gege cares for him,” he replied, smoothing over the robe, trying to make it cover all of Xie Lian but it wouldn’t stay on his shoulder. Finally he had to give up. “He is not allowed to see you this way.”

He had glanced at Yang Hu again, and Xie Lian blushed. In the heat of the battle he didn’t realise someone that wasn’t Hua Cheng had seen him almost naked.

“It’s okay,” Xie Lian reached out to cup his cheek. “This is only for San Lang. Always.”

It seemed to pacify him a little, and he turned to pick up Tao Min once more. On the way Xie Lian could barely take his eyes off of the two. Every so often Hua Cheng would look down at the boy, as if to make sure he was still okay, that the pain wouldn’t come back. To someone else Hua Cheng may have an indifferent look in his eyes, but Xie Lian could tell that he was worried.

Why did this sight give him such a strange feeling? Why did he want to preserve this moment so badly?

“Hi-ness,” Tao Min said softly.

“Yes, young man?”

“How come you glow?”

Xie Lian had to chuckle.

“It’s because of my cultivation,” he explained.

Tao Min looked very confused.

“Cul- Culi-,” he sighed. “That is hard.”

“It is,” he agreed, walking closer to them both, and ruffling his hair. Tao Min finally smiled again. “I can explain some other time, you should get some rest. You did so well today.”

Tao Min sighed, his head still resting against Hua Cheng’s chest. His eyes finally fell closed, and he was drifting off to sleep again. It gave them a chance to discuss the nastier things with the elder, explaining why and how Yang Hu had killed the people of his village.

“The fire walker is dead,” Xie Lian said. “But remove the mark from his arm. You should be safe.”

He didn’t mind at all thinking that perhaps this man’s arm would be burnt until the mark was gone. He deserved worse than that, but Xie Lian suspected his life would not continue for much longer.

“Thank you, Taoist,” the elder bowed to him. “Please take this humble offering for your temple.”

Xie Lian waved the pouch of coin away.

“There is no need.”

“Are you sure?,” he asked, but eventually took it back when it became clear Xie Lian wouldn’t accept it. “Then I will make sure it will go towards our temple of the Crown Prince.”

Xie Lian blushed a little.

“Ahaha, yes, that would be good,” he stammered. “He will be pleased.”

“That boy…,” Lu Zhuo glanced at Tao Min, and Xie Lian’s heart sank. But as he turned to follow his gaze, something had covered his face once more.

“Oh, just an orphan,” he said quickly. “Found on our way back. I would take him back to my temple, make sure he is taken care of.”

“How kind,” the elder smiled at him. “The child is lucky to have met this generous Taoist.”

Xie Lian still had to decline Lu Zhuo’s offer of donating money to ‘his god’, and they were eventually able to leave. He glanced back towards one of the ruins, but first made sure that Tao Min’s ashes were secure once more. Hua Cheng keeping them for now was most likely a good idea. Walking down the main road of the village, Xie Lian felt a bit at a loss.

“I’m sorry for saying this about the boy…,” Xie Lian said quietly. “I should have consulted with you first.”

Hua Cheng hummed, telling him no.

“San Lang is so good to me,” he sighed. “But I… Don’t know what to do with him. Surely it would be best if he moved on.”

“Does Gege really want that?,” Hua Cheng asked.

That strange feeling in his heart returned, seeing the boy in Hua Cheng’s arms.

“What else could we do?,” he asked, his voice breaking. He did not understand why he was feeling so sad suddenly.

“He comes with us,” Hua Cheng replied, as if it were the most normal thing to do.

“But San Lang does not like him.”

“Hmmhhm. He’s not so bad.”

High praise from the ghost king indeed!

“Do you really mean it?,” Xie Lian continued. “Only say if you really mean it.”

“En. I do.”

Suddenly Xie Lian was hugging them both tightly, joy spreading through his heart. Hua Cheng knew him so well, better than he knew himself at times it seemed. A hand came to the top of his head, petting gently.

“Should we go home?,” Hua Cheng asked. Xie Lian just nodded in reply.

They took the first door they could find, now it was easy to come and go. He rolled his dice, and they stepped through to find themselves in the busy streets of Ghost City. Xie Lian didn’t realise right away why they hadn’t stepped into Paradise Manor instead, especially with the state of him and his exposed shoulder! But walking through the busy streets with Tao Min waking up and eyeing all the different ghosts with wide eyes, it clicked.

Hua Cheng wanted to show them off.

Xie Lian with dishevelled robes but wearing _his_ outer robe, it would make them all think they had done something unspeakable! Why did Hua Cheng have to parade him like this… But he wasn’t the only one that the ghosts were curious about, commenting as they walked.

“The King, with a child!,” one exclaimed.

“Did he finally knock up the Uncle?!”

“It’s clearly a ghost child, an heir for the Ghost King!”

“Just look at the resemblance! Those two naturally must make a beautiful child!”

By the time they were finally at Paradise Manor, Xie Lian’s face was crimson. All these ghosts could talk about was Tao Min - ‘their’ child! And they thought Xie Lian had carried him?! That wasn’t even possible!

…was it?

“San Lang,” he cried out when they were safely inside. “Why did we have to walk through the streets?! You’re teasing.”

“The dice must have rolled wrong,” Hua Cheng feigned ignorance. Xie Lian knew there was no such thing as bad luck for him. “Don’t listen to them talking.”

“What was all that?,” Tao Min asked. His little mind couldn’t comprehend the strange city, or the splendour of this manor.

“Ghost City,” Hua Cheng explained.

“San Lang is its king,” Xie Lian added.

“King!” Tao Min’s mind was about to break down. But then he laughed, giddily hugging Hua Cheng who looked so surprised for a moment Xie Lian had to laugh too. “King and… Hi-ness. Are you married?”

“Not yet,” Hua Cheng said before Xie Lian had the chance.

_Yet?_

Hua Cheng glanced at him, his usual smile had returned, and all Xie Lian felt was love. He was right. Not yet, but they would be, eventually, in their own way. There was no one else Xie Lian wanted to spend eternity with.

Well, perhaps Tao Min could join them.

The three of them finally sat down. Xie Lian felt that it had been ages since they had sat down, and he sighed as they did. Tao Min saw treats on the table in front of them, and started eating.

“Tao Min?,” Xie Lian got his attention, smiling when the boy turned to look at him with his cheeks full like a hamster. “You know your parents can’t take care of you anymore. We were thinking that you could stay with us, if you’d like.”

Tao Min nodded enthusiastically, and with his fingers sticky and his mouth full he came to hug Xie Lian, making him even more of a mess. But he did not mind, no he did not mind at all. He noticed though, that the strands of his hair were even less defined now, perhaps a result of the fire. But he had Hua Cheng by his side now, he would soon learn to craft a more convincing form.

They spent some time winding down from this adventure, eating, trying to explain to Tao Min a few of the oddities of Ghost City, though they still had not revealed that he was dead. It would be a difficult conversation, but for now the boy seemed to be very content. They showed him an empty guest room close to theirs, that would be his from now on. Xie Lian made sure to stay by his side until he was ready to fall asleep again, still adhering to his human form’s schedule.

Xie Lian sighed upon returning to his and Hua Cheng’s room, where he was immediately lifted - and brought back out. A bath had been prepared for them, and Xie Lian let Hua Cheng undress him gladly, even carrying him into that bath where they didn’t separate. In his lap, Xie Lian’s fingers came to caress that strong jaw, those lovely lips.

“San Lang…,” he sighed.

“Hm?”

“I like saying your name.”

“I like it when Gege says my name too,” Hua Cheng replied.

“Oh San Lang…” Xie Lian reached to his chest, where the ring that contained Hua Cheng’s ashes was always to be reached for. “Is this… Something you could do for Tao Min?”

“En. I’ll make sure it’s done. Where would you like to hide it?”

“I’ll wear it,” he said.

“Gege’s always taking so much responsibility,” Hua Cheng didn’t look pleased. “I could make sure it’s hidden safely.”

“No. It’s safest here. I do not mind.”

Hua Cheng looked at him for a while longer, but decided not to argue with him.

“Okay.”

Xie Lian held the ring in his hands, glancing down to look at it. Sometimes it still overwhelmed him, how easily Hua Cheng had handed this over to him, even when Xie Lian didn’t even know what it was. Hua Cheng simply had that much faith in him.

A larger hand wrapped around his, and Xie Lian looked into a face that was concerned. But all he could offer was a smile.

“Don’t worry about me,” he said. “I am honoured that San Lang trusts me this much.”

Hua Cheng simply kissed him. For a while all words were lost to them, as those large hands would once more roam Xie Lian’s body. Caressing, squeezing, finding all the right places to start a fire in Xie Lian’s loins, to make him want - no, _crave_ more than what Hua Cheng was currently offering. When he pulled back to look into that one piercing eye, Hua Cheng understood.

As he dried off he didn’t notice Hua Cheng leaving the room for a moment, returning with a towel around his waist, and a peach robe in his hands. The fabric from the cart! Xie Lian had completely forgotten about it, hadn’t even noticed that the fabric seemed to have vanished into thin air at one point during their travels. But here it was, already made into a robe.

The fabric really was rather sheer. It would not cover much. Hua Cheng most likely bought it for this very reason. He helped Xie Lian into it, and though he felt rather naked still, he had to admit that this was very finely crafted. Somewhere Hua Cheng had a ghost seamstress that had created such a masterpiece. The thought made him smile.

“Gege looks stunning,” Hua Cheng whispered. His eye had not lost the look of lust in it, and so Xie Lian slowly turned for him, though his cheeks were burning.

“It feels so light,” he said softly.

Hua Cheng’s hands were greedy again. As he turned they came to his back, were sliding lower to cup his behind. All of a sudden he was pulled against that strong chest, and he tilted up his head.

“San Lang, take me to bed.”

No more than that was necessary for Hua Cheng to spring into action. He lifted him easily, eye focused on him as he carried him to where Xie Lian had asked. Inside, he was about to tell Ruoye to find E’Ming again when Hua Cheng stopped him.

“We have an idea,” he said. “Would Gege trust us?”

“An idea…?” Xie Lian didn’t know if he should be nervous or not, but when Hua Cheng asked him this way, there was only one reply that he could give. “I trust you.”

Ruoye unravelled from his arm and moved up, coming closer to caress his cheek. It had thankfully not been singed by the fire, and Xie Lian smiled, rubbing over the soft silk in turn. Hua Cheng set them both gently on the bed, and though he had just been put in the lovely robe, it soon fell to the floor again. Hua Cheng was grinning as Ruoye continued to caress Xie Lian, not just his cheek but pressing to the skin of his neck, its length travelling all over Xie Lian’s body.

He let out a shuddering sigh. The silk did feel good against him, and when Hua Cheng joined with featherlight touches that guided Ruoye, he couldn’t hold back a soft moan.

“We’ll try something,” Hua Cheng’s deep voice was right by his ear. He just nodded in reply, already wanting more and more, wanting _him_ right this instant. “Don’t be alarmed.”

Xie Lian was relaxed despite his words, and he simply watched as Ruoye tightened around his body. It became longer and longer, guiding him to sit up. His arms were led behind his back, and the silk band wrapped around them in intricate patterns. Gentle but now firmly holding him in place. It continued over his chest, where he looked down to see the silk band create more symmetrical patterns, leaving his nipples exposed and then further travelling down.

Soon he would be unable to move at all, but still he simply watched. Until he was pressed to the mattress by gentle hands and an even gentler silk band. He felt it wrap around his legs now, spreading them and guiding them back, until his feet were able to almost touch the arms bound behind his back.

“Gege. Is it too much?,” Hua Cheng asked.

“N-no,” he gasped. He was very flexible, this didn’t hurt him at all. “How… How did you teach it…?”

“It is very smart,” Hua Cheng just replied.

Now Ruoye connected everything together. His legs were bound in place, connecting to the silk behind his back and around his torso, and as he was finally utterly unable to lift even a finger, he felt himself being lifted. Ruoye was hanging off of the bed frame, and he was hovering in mid air. In front of him, Hua Cheng appeared once more.

“Tell me how it feels.”

“I… I… can’t move,” he finished. Hua Cheng’s hand was helping him lift his chin, looking up for a long time was a little exhausting. “But I… It feels safe somehow.”

Despite being utterly exposed down there. Hua Cheng could have his way with him if he wanted, and more than that, it’s what Xie Lian wanted so badly at this moment. That he couldn’t move, that he was completely under his control aroused Xie Lian in a way he hadn’t thought possible. Hua Cheng had already glanced down, and hiding his arousal was impossible in this position.

“Tell me what you’d like me to do, Gege,” Hua Cheng’s voice was low as he leaned closer.

“San Lang…,” Xie Lian tried to beg, but Hua Cheng wasn’t moving, just waiting for him to continue. “I want you. I want you inside. Take me however you want me, but take me. Give me your love. I want all of it inside.”

“I can do that for Gege,” he replied so lovingly, leaning in for a kiss once more, and as Xie Lian closed his eyes, he heard the towel that was around Hua Cheng’s hips join the fate of his robe. When he pulled back, he called Ruoye again. Finally, that silk band finished its job by tying itself over Xie Lian’s eyes. All he could do now was feel.

He sensed Hua Cheng walk behind him on the bed, his hands caressing as he walked. Gentle fingers found a nipple, rolling it between them and Xie Lian shuddered. Hua Cheng knew where he was most sensitive, and could use that to make him completely melt under his touch. At the same time Ruoye wasn’t staying completely still. It moved slightly, rubbing against his skin.

“Ah Ru-Ruoye,” Xie Lian moaned, hearing a little chuckle from Hua Cheng.

“It’s doing very well,” he said, tracing not just Xie Lian’s skin but the silk as well. Xie Lian could feel it shudder against him. “How beautiful you look right now, Gege.”

Beautiful? Tied up like this, legs spread to completely expose him? Yet with the way Hua Cheng said the words, he was unable not to believe him. And there was a strange beauty to the patterns Ruoye had created on his body.

“Hmm Gege, how badly do you want me?,” Hua Cheng’s voice came from behind him now, and Xie Lian was about to turn when he realised again that he couldn’t.

“Why- Why do you ask such a thing? San Lang knows…”

“It’s just that I have not had the chance to take any oils, yet Gege is already slick.”

“W-what?,” he asked, feeling a little concerned.

But then a careful finger pressed against his entrance, and he noticed what Hua Cheng had said was true. He was slick already and his finger pushed into him easily. It felt different than the last time, somehow more intense, and his moan echoed throughout the chamber.

“Gege knows such amazing magic,” Hua Cheng told him.

Magic? Had he done this, subconsciously? It’s true that his desire was threatening to overtake him. Maybe some part of his body simply knew how to do this.

“Is it… ugly?,” he asked.

“Not at all. Nothing about Gege could ever be ugly.”

He felt movement behind him, and suddenly something different was pressed against his entrance. Something moist.

“San Lang don’t-,” he called out, but interrupted himself with another moan. The way Hua Cheng pressed his tongue into him drove him insane. “It’s- ah- It’s no good there!”

“Hmmm,” was all Hua Cheng said as he continued to press his tongue into him, as deeply as he could.

It was no good, no good at all. Xie Lian couldn’t move, could just take this intense touch deep inside him, feeling Hua Cheng’s strong hands on his ass. He wanted to writhe and push back against him, it felt so good, but was locked tightly in place. His moans started to sound desperate even to his own ears. Around him, Ruoye shifted once more, as if to caress and tell him that everything would be alright.

“Gege tastes so good,” Hua Cheng finally pulled away. Xie Lian could hear a movement behind, Hua Cheng wiping something off his face. Was he _this_ wet?? “Thank you for the meal.”

“San Lang!,” Xie Lian felt so embarrassed he wished he could vanish right this instant. How could he say such a thing?!

“Hmm, Gege really shouldn’t be embarrassed,” he told him, his hands back to caressing where they could reach. “I love every part of you.”

Xie Lian sighed.

“I do want you. Badly,” he finally replied to his earlier question. “Please San Lang have mercy on this humble crown prince.”

“As you wish, your most esteemed highness.”

Xie Lian sighed and relaxed where he was hanging, trusting Hua Cheng and Ruoye to hold him up safely. Finally he felt those strong hands caress the inside of his thighs, as he lined himself up. He was about to protest that he was teasing him again, not pushing in - when Hua Cheng did. Slowly but steadily, Xie Lian was stretched wide by his cock, entering him without mercy.

His moan was long, drawn out, he was completely and utterly helpless.

“Feels so good…,” he mumbled.

“Gege does too,” Hua Cheng told him. “Different from before. Even better.”

“I do?,” Xie Lian gasped, but instead of a reply, Hua Cheng thrust into him deeper.

Hua Cheng was relentless. It was as if he could read every part of his mind and knew just what Xie Lian needed at this moment. Ruoye held him in place gently, and Hua Cheng fucked into him hard, hitting that spot inside him that made his body feel as if he would melt, yet at the same time send shocks of pleasure through his spine and groin.

“Gege has stopped holding back,” Hua Cheng sounded very pleased.

Only then did Xie Lian realise that he had been moaning so freely, unable to hold back with the surges of pleasure through his body. He had become louder, sounding more desperate and needy than before, where he would always try to swallow his moans if he could. This time, it was impossible though.

“San Lang feels so good inside,” he muttered. He didn’t know where those words were coming from, only that he could not keep them inside or he would burst. “San Lang’s so big and thick and ah- ahhh- always hitting that spot inside. I want to- ahh- I need to- Oh San Lang…”

“What do you need, Gege?”

Hua Cheng pressed closer, a hand coming to caress his belly.

“I’m already so deep inside,” he continued.

All Xie Lian could do was moan helplessly. He felt too good, like he had never done before, he felt that it would almost be too much and if he were with anyone else, he would be scared of that. But it was Hua Cheng, who loved him so deeply. Whose hand on his belly made him feel safe.

“So deep,” Xie Lian echoed. “San Lang please… make me come. I can’t hold on anymore.”

“You don’t have to hold on,” Hua Cheng told him. As much as he could, he embraced Xie Lian from behind. “Just let yourself go, let San Lang take care of you.”

Xie Lian sighed, and relaxed his body. Let his head fall forward, his hair coming down like a curtain. Hua Cheng continued to fuck into him, hitting that spot inside with every thrust. For a moment longer Xie Lian thought that maybe he could not come, that he would eternally be in this state of _almost there._ But then that wall was broken through, by Hua Cheng’s touch, by his voice.

“I love you,” was the last thing Xie Lian heard before he was overwhelmed by heat and pleasure.

“Inside, San Lang,” he blurted out. “It has to be inside!”

Hua Cheng chuckled behind him, but Xie Lian could feel that he did as he had asked. That feeling of his seed spilling inside him made him reach new heights of his orgasm, shuddering and moaning. Hua Cheng made sure to still inside him, letting Xie Lian take as long as he wanted to relish in that sensation. This time, he felt that his choice to take his seed was much more conscious. Heat ebbed off to a gentle warmth inside his body.

He felt safe. And loved.

Ruoye very gently lowered him back onto the bed, and slowly unravelled itself so that Xie Lian could move once more. The only thing he wanted to do was to be in Hua Cheng’s arms, who indulged him as he always did. His featherlight touches didn’t stop. This time they didn’t tease but rather reassured him that everything would be alright.

Xie Lian knew it, but the reassurance made him sigh anyway.

Ruoye was once more around his arm, vibrating happily. Hua Cheng reached out to it too, caressing it gently.

“Ruoye did well,” Hua Cheng told it.

“I think it is happy,” Xie Lian said.

“Gege too?”

“Mhm, me too,” he agreed.

He looked up at Hua Cheng, his heart, his love, and smiled. Feeling his hand cup his cheek, he leaned into the touch.

“I could look at Gege forever,” Hua Cheng whispered.

“Lucky then, that San Lang will have me forever.”

They kissed again, quite chaste this time. Xie Lian’s heart was so full.

They lay like that for a while longer, as Xie Lian recovered from their act before. Being in Hua Cheng’s arms though, he quickly felt like himself again.

“Tomorrow, could we take Tao Min to the city?,” Xie Lian eventually asked.

“Ghost City?”

“Yes. He did not seem scared at all. It would be good to see a few ghosts… on their best behaviour.”

“That might be difficult,” Hua Cheng grinned.

“They’re not bad,” Xie Lian replied. “I think it would be good.”

“En, we’ll do that,” he said. “Gege, should we tell him he is a ghost too?”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Xie Lian admitted. “I think it might be hard for him to understand, but we should not keep it from him for much longer. He needs to know what his ashes mean to him too.”

“I think that he will understand. He’ll be alright.”

“What makes San Lang think so?”

“He is special. And strong. He will be fine,” Hua Cheng said, as if it were a simple fact.

Xie Lian’s smile widened.

“I saw how you held him. San Lang cares about the boy,” he said.

“Gege cares about him.” As if that would explain his behaviour away.

But Xie Lian did not press the matter, if Hua Cheng did not want to admit to his heart, Xie Lian still knew what was in it… And it was a heart bigger than he cared to admit. Xie Lian was sure he fell asleep before his love, having a beautiful dreamless sleep in his arms. In the morning, he was woken up by the most wonderful sight his mind could not have even imagined.

Tao Min had climbed into their bed. At one point Hua Cheng seemed to have put on clothes, while Xie Lian was still safely covered by the blanket. The boy was in Hua Cheng’s lap, and they were talking. Just talking, and Tao Min had such an expression of wonder on his face. It seemed Hua Cheng was telling him about ghosts and magic, and the boy was fascinated.

“Ghosts have one weakness,” Hua Cheng explained.

“Oh?” Tao Min’s eyes were big listening to such a thing.

“Their ashes. When they get destroyed, so is the ghost.”

“Oh no! Ashes must be hidden then!”

“That’s right, most ghosts hide their ashes,” Hua Cheng explained.

“Did mister hide his ashes too?,” Tao Min asked.

“I don’t need to. I found my beloved,” Hua Cheng told him. “I gave him my ashes, and with him they are safe.”

“Is that his Hi-ness?”

“That’s right. I love him with all my heart.”

“Hi-ness loves mister too,” Tao Min said seriously.

“I got very lucky,” Hua Cheng said with a smile. “His Highness also cares for you, Tao Min.”

“I’m lucky too?,” he asked.

“We both are, I think.”

Tao Min was delighted by that, and leaned forward to give Hua Cheng a hug with his small body. Turning his head, he could see now that Xie Lian was awake and watching them, so he sat up to greet them. He was unable to look away from Hua Cheng anymore. The two of them together like this, Xie Lian now saw no trace of the slight sadness he had seen in Hua Cheng’s eyes a few days ago.

Maybe someone like Tao Min is what they had both been craving. Xie Lian opened his arms, and welcomed both his boys into them. His heart was full.

**Author's Note:**

> In a murder mystery, it's ALWAYS the first person you meet. 
> 
> I have a [ Twitter! ](https://twitter.com/valkyrieshepard)
> 
> And check out my [original writing](https://toyhou.se/~literature/50601.a-story) if you're interested!
> 
> I thought about my boy Tao Min a lot so I drew him [as an adult](https://twitter.com/valdrawsart/status/1353380264387375105).


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